Cultural Relativism
by Shyrstyne
Summary: G1 Post-Movie. On Cybertron, name changes were common, and accepted. On Earth, while name changes happened, there was just that extra step separating the two cultures. It wasn't uncommon for his human friends to forget he wasn't Hot Rod anymore.


This is me. This is me going on about things everybody already knows about, or doesn't care about, or both. Mostly, I like looking at the cultural differences, even if it's in places that other people already have looked at. Otherwise, however, I just felt like writing some interaction between the former Hot Rod and Daniel. As usual, any 'facts' about science, Cybertron, or anything else, are unresearched and pulled completely out of nowhere. This was also written in less than two hours, which is both an accomplishment, and how things usually go around here. I need to work on other things, but really can't find the motivation. Such is life.

I didn't quite get what I wanted out of this story, or maybe I just made a mistake by coming up with my summary first (it's how I keep my story ideas in limbo until I actually feel like working on them), but it really doesn't feel like the summary and the story itself are kosher with each other. This isn't the first time this has happened. I probably ought to work on that. I would like I add that the name Danny spouts later on was picked from a random name generator, and I grabbed the first one I could picture my (eleven year old) brother saying. I've realized he and Danny are surprisingly alike, which was kind of weird.

Full Summary: Names were something that readily differentiated the two cultures. To Transformers, the name was a representation of who they were, what their function was. As such, name changes were common, even expected until a bot reached certain maturity. To humans, a name was simply an identification. It wasn't uncommon for his human friends to forget that he wasn't Hot Rod anymore.

_**Cultural Relativism**_

It had been a long day. Or days. More likely weeks. Almost a month, if he were to be completely honest. And as such, Rodimus Prime was exhausted. Not physically, for the most part, no, mostly he felt as though if he didn't get a proper recharge in soon to defrag his processors…

"Hot Rod!"

In a time past, he would have wanted to cry something along the lines of "It's not fair, why do _I_ have to deal with this?" but now was the not the time. No, it wasn't fair, but he had to deal with it all the same. He just wished some of the human leaders he was deliberating with weren't so obstinate. Most were perfectly acquiescent to the changes and plans the co-op human/Autobot forces were making, but some of them were making a right fuss over the smallest and most seemingly insignificant of issues.

"Hot Rod!"

Of course, he rationalized, he probably didn't have it half as bad as Optimus likely once did. At least the humans now knew and were at least moderately acquainted with Cybertronian culture. Optimus had at one time had to deal with a people that knew nothing of them, and were probably frightened by the possibilities they presented… and in some cases brought. Add on top of that trying to protect said people from said Decepticons and… well, Rodimus didn't rightly know how Optimus _managed_ it.

How did Optimus do it, anyways? Sometimes Rodimus wished he weren't so new to this leading business.

"_Hot Rod!_"

Rodimus leaned back in his chair, pondering the thought. How long had Optimus been leader anyways? Counting the four million Earth years in stasis? Not counting?

_CLANG!_

Rodimus started slightly as something small, metal, and pointed impacted stolidly with his lower leg. Looking down, he saw a righteously angry Daniel wielding a medium sized crowbar with only some difficulty. Cataloging the new dent in his armor with some surprise at its size, he knelt down beside his human friend.

"I'm sorry Danny, did you want something?" A few of the staring mechs from across the rec room chuckled and went back to their drinks. Daniel pouted.

"I wanted to know if you had time to do something today, but you wouldn't answer!"

_Oh dear,_ Rodimus inwardly groaned,_ not this conversation again._

"Danny," He sighed, not really wanting to have to explain this to Daniel as well, "I'm not Hot Rod anymore."

"I know." Daniel seemed sadly put out, "But couldn't I call you that? I mean, you're Rodimus Prime, but you're Hot Rod too, right?"

"I don't think you quite understand." Rodimus said finally. Getting up from his chair, he knelt and extended a hand to his small human friend. "Let's go for a walk."

Climbing into his hand, Danny was trying hard but failing to understand what Rodimus Prime had meant. What did he mean? Were they not friends any more?

"Gonna try to explain the basics of society, Rod?" A mech across the way laughed. "Good luck. Tough being the first mech on Earth with a name change, innit?"

As Rodimus walked out of the room with Danny in tow, the boy looked up at him accusingly.

"_He_ gets to call you Rod!" Rodimus felt guilt gnaw at him as he saw tears well in the childs eyes. "Why can't I? Am I not good enough, or, or something?"

"Danny, Danny shh," Rodimus said quietly. "There's a few very specific differences Danny, and don't ever think you're not good enough. You're still my friend, and always will be, alright?" The boy nodded, and wiped at his eyes. Rodimus felt those twinges of guilt once again. This had probably been bothering Daniel for quite some time.

"But you never answer me anymore."

"I know, and I'm sorry, I don't mean to. But I'm not Hot Rod anymore, and you have to understand that. I'm Rodimus Prime, and there is a difference."

"Why? Isn't it just a title or something?" Ah the wonders of different cultures and their social contexts.

"Well, yes and no. Y'see, for Cybertronians our names represent who we are, what our function is, or any number of things. We aren't like humans in that we put a name to anything. Every name means something, _must_ mean something."

"I get that," Daniel argued, "But why can't I call you Hot Rod anymore?"

"Because that's not my name anymore." Rodimus gently put forth. "I can't be called Hot Rod anymore because the name no longer fits me." The Prime paused, trying his best to make the parallel into words a ten year old would understand. "I changed when I became Prime, so my name changed as well to better fit me."

Danny was silent, obviously absorbing what was being said to him.

"That's why I don't react to Hot Rod anymore, it's no longer my name, and so isn't a part of me."

"But that other mech called you Rod-"

"Which can be short for Rodimus. It's a little complicated Danny, but it more or less comes down to "Rod" good, and "Hot Rod" bad."

The child bit his lip in thought. "I thought the Prime thing was a title, like President or Prime Minister. You're still Rod, but with a –mus and a Prime on the end."

"I didn't change much. I changed some, maybe even quite a bit by some standards, but for some part you're absolutely right. My case is slightly unique in that I changed to fit the name, rather than the other way around. I had to become more patient and responsible, in order to lead the Autobots. But for almost every other mech you will ever meet, Danny, they will have chosen their names based on who they are, not the other way around."

"Oh." There was silence after that, save Rodimus Prime's metallic footsteps, and the occasional voice filtering down the otherwise empty corridor.

"So you get to choose your own names?" Daniel asked, after a while.

"For the most part, yes." Rodimus didn't bother correcting the technicalities. He figured Danny had a pretty good grasp of the concept now.

"That'd be neat. I wish I could've picked my own name."

"What, you don't like being called Daniel?"

"Well, I don't mind it, but wouldn't something like… like… I dunno, something_ cool_ like _Ultra Crusher_ be so much better?"

Rodimus chuckled. "It's not quite that simple, Daniel, but sure, I suppose."

"What's not simple?" Came a new voice. Daniel sat up a little higher in Rodimus' hand and waved grinning.

"Arcee!"

"Just trying to explain to Danny about our names. I was about to see if I could get him to understand that our names aren't quite the same in Cybertronian as in English." Rodimus explained. Arcee laughed.

"Well? What?" Daniel mock pouted this time. Arcee crouched a little to be eye level with the boy.

"Well, let me put it this way- If you translated Hot Rod, as it originally was from Cybertronian, his partial name would be _he-who-lives-life-regardless_. Can you imagine saying that every time you wished to speak with him? Hot Rod was the best translation possible, under those circumstances."

Daniel laughed. "His _partial_ name?"

Arcee grinned. "His full name doesn't translate into English at all. Cybertronian is a very compact language."

"What's your name now then?" Daniel looked back up at Rodimus inquiringly. Rodimus thought a moment before trying to answer.

"I believe it would be something along the lines of _the-Prime-Leader-who-leads-in-accordance-to-being-led_."

Daniel scrunched up his nose trying to make sense of the turn about sentence. Rodimus patted him lightly on the head consolingly.

"I know it doesn't make much sense Danny, but you'll have to trust me when I say the full version, in Cybertronian, makes perfect sense. English just isn't very accommodating for alien phrases."

Daniel nodded in acceptance. "Okay." He paused.

"Do you think we have time to fishing, Rodimus? We haven't been since…"

"Sure Danny, I'll just let someone know where I'm off to, and we can be gone in ten minutes."

"Can Arcee come?"

".. If she wants to."

"I'm afraid I already have several prior engagements, perhaps another time."

"Alright."

"Bye, Arcee!"

"See you later Daniel."

"So, about those fish…"


End file.
